The Tenement Museum Honors Black New Yorkers With 1870s Exhibit
Responding to a longtime request, The Tenement Museum in New York City--known for documenting the early lives of immigrant and migrant New Yorkers, is now permanently offering attendees an exhibit featuring an apartment of a Black family. According to CBS News, patrons of the museum are offered a glimpse at Black life in the city in the 1870s.
The exhibit, titled " A Union of Hope: 1869," came out of research that found Black newspapers with advertisements for Black-owned businesses and social events. These offered insights into the daily lives of Black New Yorkers.
Curated by Marquis Taylor, his research shaped the furnishing, imagining, and overall execution of the exhibit. “A lot of this is the reclamation of stories that we don’t really know,” says Taylor. “We want to have more accurate and true histories about New York, about Black New Yorkers, to say Black New Yorkers were here and they contributed to this city’s history.”
A huge part of New York’s Black history was July 5th independence celebrations. According to the Tenement Museum's recent post, July 4 1827 marks the day that slavery was officially abolished in New York State. Many Black New Yorkers marked the occasion with celebrations--gathering in churches on July 4th to observe religious services. However, many others opted to celebrate on July 5th.
The choice to celebrate on the 5th was a painful reminder of the historical need to avoid the racial violence that ensued at that time. According to the museum, "this was a safety decision—it was a political and cultural choice." Ultimately, July 5th became a day when Black communities in the city would, “fully claim the joy, visibility, and significance of emancipation without compromise or fear."
